Measles

Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Ninety percent of people with close contact with an infected person will get measles if they are not vaccinated. Before the measles vaccine became available, measles was a common childhood disease. Measles is considered the most deadly of all childhood rash/fever illnesses. Symptoms may include high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, rash. Measles can have serious complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, swelling of the brain, and miscarriage in pregnant women. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die.

The New Jersey Department of Health is warning residents about a confirmed case of measles in a New York City resident who potentially exposed individuals in Middlesex and Ocean counties on April 22 and 23.

Anyone who visited the following locations may have been exposed to measles:

Sky Zone, 600 Hadley Rd, South Plainfield, NJ 07080

April 22 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

River 978 Banquet Hall, 978 River Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701

April 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. (April 24)

The Department recommends that anyone who visited the locations listed above during the specified dates/times should contact a health provider immediately to discuss potential exposure and risk of developing the illness. If you have been exposed, you are at risk if you have not been vaccinated or have not had measles. Individuals potentially exposed on these dates, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as May 14.

Anyone who suspects an exposure is urged to call a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.

April 2019: Potential Measles Exposures in Monmouth County Related to Highly Suspect Case

NOTE: Based upon additional testing at the CDC, this highly suspect case was determined not to have measles.

The New Jersey Department of Health is warning residents of a highly suspect case of measles — a very contagious disease — in a Middlesex County resident who may have exposed individuals in Monmouth County on April 17 and 19. The Department and local health officials are investigating any connection to the current Ocean County measles outbreak or outbreaks in other states.

Individuals who visited the following locations only at the times and dates specified below may have been exposed to measles. There is currently no ongoing risk of transmission at these locations.

Rosalita’s Roadside Cantina, 180 Route 9 North, Englishtown, NJ 07726

April 19 between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

LabCorp, 83 Bridge Plaza Dr, Manalapan, NJ 07726

April 17 between 7:15 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

April 19 between 11:15 a.m. and 1:50 p.m.

The Department is working in collaboration with local health officials to identify and notify people who might have been exposed during the time the individual was infectious. This investigation is in progress. In the event that additional exposure locations are identified, this list above will be updated.

The Department recommends that anyone who visited the locations listed above during the specified dates/times should contact a health provider immediately to discuss potential exposure and risk of developing the illness. If you have been exposed, you are at risk if you have not been vaccinated or have not had measles. Individuals potentially exposed on these dates, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as May 10.

Between March 2019 and May 2019, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and local health officials worked together to investigate an outbreak of measles. A total of 12 outbreak-associated cases were identified, including 8 confirmed cases in Ocean County residents and 4 cases in one Monmouth County household that had a direct epidemiologic link to the outbreak community. As of May 16, two incubation periods (a total of 42 days) have passed from the last day the last known case was infectious. Because no new cases have been identified during this period, the New Jersey outbreak is being considered over.

All Cases associated with the 2019 Ocean County outbreak were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status (no documentation of measles-containing vaccine). Cases ranged in age from 5 months to 51 years and had rash onset dates that spanned from February 28 to March 30. A full list of previous outbreak-associated exposure locations can be found here.

However, in light of recent measles cases/exposures and ongoing measles outbreaks in surrounding communities, the Department urges providers to maintain vigilance for suspect cases of measles and have a high index of suspicion for measles in persons with a clinically compatible illness.

Anyone who suspects an exposure is urged to call a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.

The Department continues to recommend that providers ensure that patients are fully vaccinated according to the U.S. immunization schedule and consider administering MMR vaccine in certain circumstances as described in the 2019 Measles Outbreak Information for Clinicians.

The New Jersey Department of Health is warning residents about 4 confirmed cases of measles. In unrelated incidents:

A Bergen County resident developed measles after contact with a community outside New Jersey experiencing an ongoing outbreak of measles and potentially exposed individuals in Bergen County;

An Essex County resident developed measles following travel from a country that is currently experiencing an ongoing outbreak of measles; and

2 Ocean County residents were confirmed to have measles and potentially exposed individuals in Ocean County between February 26 and March 5.

The Department and local health officials are investigating whether there is any connection between the recent Ocean County cases, the previous outbreak in Ocean County, or current outbreaks in other states.

The Department recommends that anyone who visited the locations listed below during the specified dates/times should contact a health provider immediately to discuss potential exposure and risk of developing the illness. If you have been exposed, you are at risk if you have not been vaccinated or have not had measles. Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as March 26. As of March 8, no additional associated cases have been identified.

Measles symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes and a rash that usually appears between three and five days after symptoms begin. The rash usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs and feet. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Measles infection in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby. Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.

If you develop symptoms of measles, the Department recommends that you call a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.

Anyone who visited the following locations may have been exposed to measles:

The Department is working in collaboration with local health officials to notify people who might have been exposed and identify additional exposures that could have occurred. In the event that additional exposures are identified, an update will be provided.

For more information about what to do if you’ve been exposed to measles, visit the Department's measles factsheet. The CDC has additional information available here.

Alert

As of May 22, 2019, there are 14 confirmed cases of measles in New Jersey. Twelve of these cases are associated with the 2019 Measles Outbreak, Ocean County, which is being considered over as of May 16.

Healthcare Facilities & Services

New Jersey is home to over 2,000 licensed hospitals, nursing homes, and medical care facilities. The New Jersey Department of Health works to ensure that citizens receive appropriate levels of care in every regulated facility.